A group of women sat in a Miami-Dade County courtroom on Thursday morning, anxiously following a status hearing for 14-year-old Derek Rosa, who is accused of stabbing his mother to death in their Hialeah home in October 2023.
In Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Richard Hersch’s courtroom, the women, some traveling from across the country, are convinced of Derek’s innocence. They came wearing shirts adorned with his portrait and the phrase “Free Derek,” declaring themselves just a small fraction of his national and international support.
The group of about 10, most of whom are native Spanish speakers with limited fluency in English, rely on translations to follow the proceedings. They’ve attended nearly every hearing, firmly maintaining that the teen is not responsible for the tragic death of his mother, 39-year-old Irina Garcia…